by Herbert W. Armstrong

Some may wonder, what possible connection could there be between the problems of governments
and the message of Jesus Christ?

Neither religion nor government nor education has found the cause of the frightful evils in today’s world, nor have they found the solutions to the
tragic problems of suffering humanity. They fail utterly to point the way to or to
produce peace! The evolutionary theory gives no explanation for the real vital problems
of today’s very sick world. It offers no solutions. But the gospel of Jesus Christ
— if they only knew what it is — does give the rational and true explanation, and
it outlines the solution that will be made!

But, one may ask in bewilderment, doesn’t everybody know what is the gospel of Jesus Christ? Hasn’t it been preached for more than 1900
years?

Incredible or not, the answer is an emphatic NO! Christ’s gospel was not proclaimed
to the world for over 18 centuries!

That, I know, is a staggering statement. It may sound absurd.

People will ask, “But haven’t they preached Christ to the world? Haven’t they pleaded
BELIEVE ON CHRIST and ACCEPT CHRIST? Haven’t millions believed on Christ? Haven’t
millions accepted Christ — professed Christ? Do not millions call their religion after
His name — the Christian religion? And isn’t Christianity one of the largest religions
on earth?” Quite true.

Christ Is Not the Gospel

But preaching Christ is not preaching Christ’s gospel! Christ was the messenger who
brought the gospel — the messenger God sent with a MESSAGE for all mankind — and that
message is the gospel. The very word “gospel” means “good news.”

Jesus Christ, the person, is the greatest, most important person ever to walk on this
earth. But He, as a person, is not the gospel. The miracles He performed are not the
gospel. The things Jesus did are not the gospel. What He preached — the tremendous
good news He announced — is the GOSPEL.

Tune in your television set any Sunday morning, and you’ll see the weekly religious
diet and hear nearly all preachers telling you about Christ — urging you to believe on Christ — to accept Christ — telling you what a
wonderful person He was. They will be called “gospel programs.” They will talk about
getting out the gospel. But Christ the person is not the gospel! I know that sounds
incredible — because they call what they are saying “the gospel.”

Millions of viewers and listeners have ASSUMED they were hearing the gospel. People
have heard all their lives the preaching about Jesus Christ the person which has been
called “the gospel.” People have simply taken it for granted that they were hearing the
gospel. So they accept what they have heard as the gospel when, in actual fact, they have never heard the gospel of Jesus Christ — the message — the news announcement.

Believers Wanted to Kill Christ

What they have accepted without question as the gospel offers no solution to humanity’s sufferings, frustrations and indescribable
evils! The true gospel Jesus brought proclaims the solution to the world’s troubles,
but men rejected that gospel and crucified Jesus for preaching it!

There were those who BELIEVED on Christ, just as millions do today — millions who
have not heard His gospel!

Notice! Read it fully in the Bible. It’s an eye-opener — for the Bible doesn’t SAY
what you’ve supposed. Jesus was speaking in the Temple at Jerusalem: “Then said Jesus
to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples
indeed” (John 8:31).

Understand it! Jesus’ word was His message — the gospel He was teaching. He was saying,
in other words: “If you continue DOING what the gospel teaches, you will be my disciples.”

But they refused to believe what He taught — His gospel — or to do what He taught. They believed on Him — they
believed in His identity — they believed He was the Messiah — the Christ — but they
did not BELIEVE HIM — what He said!

Continuing, “… but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. I speak
that which I have seen with my Father …” (verses 37-38). These very people who BELIEVED
ON HIM sought to kill Him because they hated what He said — His gospel — the very solution to mankind’s troubles — the way that will usher
in peace, prosperity, happiness and every good state.

These who believed on Him continued to argue. Then He said: “But now ye seek to kill
me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God …” (verse 40). Jesus
continued: “… I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he
sent me” (verse 42). Further: “And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not”
(verse 45). Millions today believe on Christ, but do NOT believe His gospel in most
cases because they have never heard it. They have heard of Him — of what He did —
but not His message of the solution to all man’s troubles and how to gain eternal
life in joyful happiness, abundance and accomplishment.

A Messenger and His Message

You will have noticed, above, how Jesus stressed the fact that God, His Father, had
sent Him. What He taught, He had received from God.

Notice now this prophecy in Malachi: “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall
prepare the way before me …” (Malachi 3:1). He is speaking here of John the Baptist
(Mark 1:2), but primarily as a type of another to prepare the way before His second
coming (Malachi 4:5-6).

Continuing, “… and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even
the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in …” (Malachi 3:1). Jesus came as
a messenger — the messenger of the COVENANT. This is speaking of the New Covenant.
Moses was the mediator of the Old Covenant, an agreement between God and the people
of Israel, which set them up as one of the kingdoms on earth named after their earthly
father, Israel (Jacob).

This prophecy leads us directly to the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, in
Mark 1:1: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; As it is written
in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare
thy way before thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way
of the Lord, make his paths straight” (Mark 1:1-4).

This shows John preparing the way before the beginning of Jesus’ announcement of His gospel. The next nine verses describe John’s baptizing
and his announcing of the coming of the Messiah, the baptism of Jesus and Jesus’ head-on
confrontation with and conquering of Satan, by which He qualified to restore on earth
the government of God.

Then, verses 14-15: “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee,
preaching …” What? What gospel? “… preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and
saying, The time is fulfilled…” How fulfilled? Jesus had just qualified to restore
and rule that government. It could not have been announced sooner — “the kingdom of
God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” Believe what? He said we must
believe the gospel — the good news of the Kingdom of God.

But since late in the first century, that gospel has not been preached to the world!
Almost nobody today knows what the Kingdom of God is! Millions think it is a church! Other millions think it is
some ethereal nothing “set up in men’s hearts.” Some have even thought it was the
British Empire. (For a full explanation, write for the free, eye-opening booklet Just What Do You Mean… the Kingdom of God?)

The word “gospel” means “good news.” It was an advance NEWS announcement. It was tremendous,
wonderful news — the biggest, most important news ever announced to mankind! Yet it
has been suppressed! Your Bible says ALL NATIONS have been deceived.

The leaders in Judaea and Galilee in Jesus’ day rejected that wonderful news. Many
of those who BELIEVED ON CHRIST rejected it, sought to kill Him for teaching it, as
shown above, and finally did have Him killed. The apostles who went out proclaiming
that wonderful news were martyred for preaching it — with the possible exception of
John. After 3 years of Jesus’ ministry and preaching to as many as five thousand men
at a time, only 120 were still accepting the gospel and continuing in it by the time
of His ascension to heaven — forty days after His resurrection (Acts 1:3, 14-15).
Soon a great persecution set in during the time of the apostles’ preaching (Acts 8:1).
After the Romans took Jerusalem in A.D. 70, Roman persecution virtually snuffed out
all true gospel preaching. For the next 18 centuries, Christ was preached to the world,
but NOT HIS GOSPEL!

What Is That Kingdom?

Just what is a kingdom? If I tell you that King Hussein is the king of the Hashemite
Kingdom of Jordan, you understand what I mean. It is not some nonexistent, ethereal
nothing in Hussein’s heart.

A kingdom is a government. It is ruled by laws. The function of government is to administer
and enforce those laws.

Did you ever hear of a nation or its government without laws? Of course not! The Kingdom
of God once ruled this earth. It ruled with the laws of the Creator God. As long as
it ruled, the whole earth was filled with peace, with HAPPINESS and JOY. Then that
government was taken away, and I do not mean in the time of ancient Israel — but all
that is another story.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is a NEWS announcement about GOVERNMENT! The heavens have
received Christ until the time of restoration of that government (Acts 3:19-21).

Who Is to Be King?

A kingdom consists of 1) a king, or chief ruler with all his officers who rule over
2) people within 3) certain boundaries in which the ruler has jurisdiction, with 4)
a system of laws and government.

First, then, notice WHO is to be the king of the Kingdom of God. Look at the prophecy
in Isaiah 9:6-7: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government
shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The
mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government
and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to
order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even
for ever.”

Next, in the New Testament, just prior to Jesus’ birth, an angel spoke to Mary, who
was to become Jesus’ mother: “And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for … thou
shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall
give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of
Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:30-33).

When Jesus was on trial for His life, Pilate asked: “Art thou a king then? Jesus answered,
Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into
the world …” (John 18:37). But in the preceding verse Jesus had explained, “My kingdom
is not of this world…”

A World-Ruling Government

The prophet Daniel foretold the Kingdom of God. In the second chapter, speaking of
the kings over governments in this, our generation, he prophesied: “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven
set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left
to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and
it shall stand for ever” (Daniel 2:44).

In the seventh chapter is a prophecy of the succession of world empires, beginning
with King Nebuchadnezzar’s Chaldean Empire, called Babylon, through the Persian Empire,
the Greco-Macedonian Empire and its four divisions, followed by the Roman Empire,
the Holy Roman Empire of the Middle Ages, and its final revival in Europe now forming.
Then, speaking of this soon-coming “United States of Europe” — a revived “Holy Roman
Empire”: “And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the
whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom
is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him” (Daniel 7:27).

Next, consider the people who will constitute the Kingdom of God. I have shown you
Jesus said it was a future Kingdom — not of this present world or age. Daniel’s prophecy
shows the government will be given over to “the saints,” yet Christ is to be the King.

The Future Rulers

There will be two classes of people when the Kingdom of God is set up. One, those whom Daniel called saints,
resurrected to immortality, organized into the executive branch of the government,
who shall rule under Christ. The other, those mortal humans left alive on earth. Both
are referred to in many scriptures.

But Jesus explained to the Pharisee Nicodemus about those who shall bear rule in the
government. It’s in the third chapter of John. Yet it is misinterpreted by almost
every denomination in the Christian religion, in spite of the fact it NEEDS NO INTERPRETATION.
It is clear and plain in the Bible — especially when considered along with many other
passages on the same subject.

Jesus said: “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God… That which
is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John
3:3, 6). A mortal human cannot enter into or see the Kingdom of God. Only those born
of the Spirit (which is God), and who are no longer material human flesh from the
ground, but who are spirit — composed of spirit, not of matter — can enter that kingdom.

Yet, because Christ’s gospel is not preached (except on our programs and in our publications),
this birth is commonly either rejected or represented as an “experience” when one
“accepts” or “receives” Christ. Space does not permit a thorough explanation with
all the pertinent scriptures here, but the reader is invited to request our free booklet
Just What Do You Mean… Born Again? and also the free booklet Why Were You Born? They cover thoroughly, intriguingly, the most important thing in your life — the
PURPOSE for which you were put here on earth, why you are, where you are going and
the way. It’s the missing dimension in knowledge!

But let me cite just two more brief verses of Scripture that show who will be ruling,
under Christ, in the government of God over this earth. In Revelation 3:21, Christ
is speaking. “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even
as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.”

And it is Christ speaking also in Revelation 2:26-27: “And he that overcometh, and
keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they
be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.”

The Gospel Relation to Government

This has been a very condensed summary of precisely WHAT Christ’s gospel is. Christ
came with a tremendous ANNOUNCEMENT — wonderful news of a world-ruling GOVERNMENT
to come and solve all of humanity’s seemingly unsolvable problems.

It is the message of how we may qualify, now, to be a king or priest (Revelation 5:10),
then made immortal and composed of spirit, in God’s Kingdom. It is the message that
God is the divine, creating, universe-ruling family into which we may be born by repenting
of the way of sin that has CAUSED all the terrible EVILS and unsolvable problems in
this world, and, through a living faith inChrist, turning to the way of God’s law — the way that will CAUSE the peace and joy of the
happy world tomorrow. It points out the true and only way to eternal life.

Christ’s gospel is a message about government. Christ’s gospel is concerned with the
evils confronting the world’s peoples which the governments of the nations are trying
to cope with.

The gospel is concerned with the CAUSE of all these problems and troubles. The gospel
Christ brought is concerned with humans turning NOW from the way that is CAUSING all their troubles to the WAY that will CAUSE peace, happiness and plenty.

The gospel is concerned with 1) how we may solve our troubles NOW, and 2) how God
is GOING to solve them for us — and IN SPITE OF US if we refuse to change our way
now.

World Leaders Frightened

The time for kidding ourselves is past. This world is in a very critically serious
condition. Even after some thirty years of the world-effort to develop the poor nations
of the world, they are poorer today than ever before. Millions upon millions face
starvation, live in ignorance, utter poverty, filth and squalor, wracked with disease
and ill health. In the affluent nations, crime is rampant (even in residential neighborhoods),
morals have sunk to the gutter, divorces are breaking up a third of the homes, youths
are taking to drugs and alcohol, staring a hopeless future in the face.

The weapons now exist to erase all humanity from the face of the earth in very short
order. The world is sick, and the sickness is rapidly nearing the acute stage.

World-famous scientists and heads of state are saying the world’s ONLY HOPE is a single
WORLD GOVERNMENT in control of all arms and military force, to insure WORLD PEACE.
Man can’t bring it about. But Christ’s gospel — the most tremendous ANNOUNCEMENT of
the most wonderful GOOD NEWS ever given to the world, announces to humanity just that
— a supreme world government with TOTAL POWER over ALL nations, ushering in world
peace, prosperity for ALL, good health for all — a world filled with happiness and
joy!

Jesus’ gospel taught the way of life that will produce this Utopia — a way true Christians
must live NOW — a way that would solve all of today’s problems and evils.

That is the light that Jesus Christ brought to the world, but men loved darkness rather
than light, because their deeds were evil (John 3:19). The world REJECTED that wonderful
good news and crucified their very Maker for bringing it. And while they were sinning
so abominably, Christ died for them, to pay the penalty they have incurred in their
stead — if and when they repent and turn to the way that brings them happiness!

Anyway, the restoration of the Kingdom of God does not depend on mankind believing
it. It is going to happen — as surely as the rising of tomorrow’s sun!

Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom of God to many thousands. All but 120 individuals rejected
it. The so-called “Sermon on the Mount” outlined the way of God’s government. His
many parables described the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God was His gospel! (If
you have not already done so, be sure to request our free booklets What Is the True Gospel? and Coming – A New Age!)

Peter, John and the other original apostles proclaimed the Kingdom of God. It was
the gospel the apostle Paul preached to the Gentiles. But men rejected it.

For 18 centuries it was not proclaimed to the world — only to a very few — and that
generally under cover, lest those preaching it be put to death!

Jesus Said It Would Happen

Jesus said plainly that although He, as a person, as the Messiah, would be preached
to the world, His gospel would be withheld and the people would be deceived.

When His disciples asked when He would come again to earth to set up God’s Kingdom and of the END of this present
world, Jesus said: “Take heed that no man deceive you. For MANY shall come in my name”
— many would profess to be His ministers, representing Him — “saying I am Christ; and shall deceive many” (Matthew 24:4-5). Untold thousands, ordained
ministers in the Christian religion, have PREACHED CHRIST! They have said Jesus of Nazareth was Christ. But Christ’s gospel has been withheld. The many have
been deceived.

Remember, a deceived person does not know he is deceived. Otherwise he would not be deceived. Millions have been deceived into accepting a FALSE gospel — a false salvation.

But, in Jesus’ answer to their question as to His return to earth and the END of this
present world or age, the only sign He gave was: “And this gospel OF THE KINGDOM shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations;
and then shall the end come” (Matthew 24:14).

Stop and think! If Christ’s gospel had been preached to all the world during those 18 centuries, it
could not be the sign today of the soon-coming end of this present world, and of Christ’s
imminent return as King of kings and Lord of lords, to restore the Kingdom of God
and the peaceful and happy world tomorrow! That one statement is absolute advance
PROOF from Christ’s own lips that His gospel would be withheld.

It has been!

But beginning January 1934, Christ’s very gospel began going out. By the end of 1952
it was being thundered to the United States and Canada coast to coast via radio. January
1953 it began going to Europe and Britain — and soon, worldwide. Also, as in Jesus’
prophecy of Matthew 24, the world is fast approaching the supreme time of world trouble
— the very CLIMAX of civilization called “the GREAT TRIBULATION” (verses 21-22).

This is a frightening and terrifying hour — unless one hides his eyes and ears from
the state of the world and its trends!

In such a sobering time, you have just read the truth that ought to arouse you out
of the sleep of complacency and indifference! It is, I know, a shocking, staggering
FACT to realize that this work — the work going out from the Worldwide Church of God
— is the ONLY WORK ON EARTH proclaiming the very gospel of Jesus Christ to the world
in great power!